The present invention relates to a data input apparatus and, more particularly, to a portable type data input terminal which can input a plurality of data of different types.
In association with the development of the communication technique, a small portable type terminal or data input apparatus is generally used. On the other hand, owing to the spread of computer systems, computers are used for management of the stocks of goods, management works of parcels in the parcel transportation business, and the like.
The portable type data input apparatus is used as a terminal of such a computer system. In the parcel transportation business, each deliveryman has the portable type data input apparatus. After the deliveryman handed a parcel to a customer on the delivery side, he inputs predetermined data to the input apparatus from the keyboard and, further, receives the slip with the acceptance signature of the customer on the delivery side. After completion of the delivery works, the deliveryman ordinarily inputs a series of data which was inputted upon delivery into a host computer installed in the office. Therefore, the data input apparatus has the memory function. The host computer collects and classifies the data from all of the data input apparatuses. A business management system by the computer as mentioned above also executes a similar procedure even for another management of the stocks of goods.
In the business management by the computer system, since data can be inputted by the keyboard, the data can be stored and processed in a digital signal form. Therefore, there is an advantage such that the number of papers or documents can be remarkably reduced.
However, in the conventional portable type data input apparatus, since data is inputted by the keyboard, only what is called code data can be inputted and analog graphic data such as a graphic or hand-written characters cannot be inputted. Therefore, in the case of the acceptance slip or the like which needs a signature, the papers or documents cannot be abolished and the function of the computer system cannot be made the most of.
Moreover, there is demanded a terminal which can satisfy the requirements which are peculiar to the portable type data input apparatus such that a person who uses it can freely carry and operate even at a remote position without a commercially available power source away from the host computer.